Pithing Needle

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID) #378 · Rare · Artifact

Mana cost: {1}

As this artifact enters, choose a card name.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.

Illustrated by Ovidio Cartagena · Released September 24, 2021

Prices

Nonfoil price since August 29, 2026: unchanged at $0.53 USD.

2005-06-01 · wotc — If you name a card that has both a mana ability and another activated ability, the mana ability can be activated but the other ability can't be activated.
2005-06-01 · wotc — You can name any card, even if that card doesn't normally have an activated ability. You can't name a token unless that token has the same name as a card.
2005-06-01 · wotc — Pithing Needle affects cards regardless of what zone they're in. This includes cards in hand, cards in the graveyard, and exiled cards. For example, a player can't cycle Eternal Dragon or return an Eternal Dragon from their graveyard to hand if Pithing Needle naming Eternal Dragon is on the battlefield.
2009-10-01 · wotc — Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again.
2012-10-01 · wotc — Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form "[cost]: [effect]." Triggered abilities and static abilities of the named card work normally.